On December 8, 2014, LeBron’s choice to wear the “I can’t breathe” T-shirts sent to him by Brooklyn Nets forward Jarrett Jack, along with teammate Kyrie Irving, in the wake of the death of 43-year-old Eric Garner in a chokehold by an NYPD officer, marked a political turning point for him in becoming more publicly vocal about racial issues. police violence.
Jack wore the shirt during warmups before that night’s home game against the Cavs, as did teammates Kevin Garnett, Deron Williams, and Alan Anderson. Derrick Rose and Kobe Bryant were among the players wearing “I can’t breathe” shirts around the league in the days that followed.
“I think it’s really important to show respect to the family,” Irving told reporters in the locker room before the game. “More importantly, we’re in a city where a tragedy happened and it’s really important to us to stand up for a cause, especially this cause. It hits close to home and it means a lot to me.”
James said he might wear the shirt on court. When I asked him later what that gesture meant to him, he replied: “I don’t know. It’s not for us to understand. Just to understand what we’re going through as a society. I’ve been forwarded many times what’s going on. This is more than anything a thought for families. As a society we have to do better. We have to be better for each other, regardless of race. But it’s more like a shout-out to families because above all they should get the energy and effort.” ”
